1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic mail and specifically to passive notification of electronic mail reception.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic mail ("email") is delivered between users via the Internet and is available from most Internet Service Providers ("ISPs"). Email addressed to a particular user is sent to and stored on a remote email server operated by the recipient user's ISP. Typically, the user must query the ISP email server in order to determine whether email has been sent to a user. Querying the ISP email server, as well as delivery of email from the ISP email server for viewing, requires an online connection between the user's computer and the remote server. Accordingly, in order for a user to achieve prompt and effective delivery of email received from other users, the user must maintain a continual online connection and frequently query the ISP email server while, of course, maintaining power to the user's computer and continually operating appropriate email query software.
Recently, several systems have been developed to alert users of email received from other users and stored on the user's ISP remote server without requiring a continuous online connection to the Internet. In one system, conventional broadcast pager networks are employed to deliver a paging signal to a user's pager or other suitable broadcast reception device when email addressed to the user is received at the user's ISP remote server. This system, however, requires the user to purchase a paging device, purchase and maintain a paging service, and requires the user to keep the paging device turned on and in close proximity to the user. Further, effectiveness of this "email pager notification" system undesirably depends upon the availability, coverage area, and operating status of local paging networks, as well as upon the operating status of the user's pager device. In another system, a notification system is configured for use with a standard computer modem and a user's computer and television to transmit a notification signal directly to the user's computer by standard dial-up modem connection, or indirectly as a video image to the user's television through the user's computer when the user does not respond to the notification signal provided initially to the computer. However, this system requires the user to keep the computer turned on and requires a standard telephone connection via the associated modem to provide the notification signal to the user's computer. Further, since conventional televisions and cable converter boxes do not have writeable memory, if the user's computer and television are not turned on when the notification signal is transmitted, the user is not notified.
Use of the Internet and related email services is rapidly increasing as a quick, inexpensive, and reliable form of global communication. Indeed, with common applications ranging from intra-office and inter-office communication to online purchase verification to news and event updates, email is a well accepted and widely used form of communication. As a result, users are increasingly desirous of fast, inexpensive, and reliable email notification. As discussed above, conventional email notification systems require additional service subscriptions which are not always available and not always desired by a user, e.g., those requiring an online connection or a paging network service. Further, such systems cannot continuously and passively notify a user as to reception of email addressed to the user without the user's paging device or computer and/or television remaining on. Accordingly, there is a need for a continuous and passive email notification system which is readily available to all users and which does not require the user to maintain an online connection or leave a pager device or cable television system turned on.